Burma announces elections – but not for Aung San Suu Kyi

Burma's ruling regime has announced the country's first general elections in two decades – but pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to be allowed to stand.

6:29PM GMT 04 Jan 2010

Junta leader Senior Gen Than Shwe gave details of the ballot later this year in a message marking the anniversary of Burma's 1948 independence from Britain.

He said it would form part of the regime's "seven-step" road-map to move the country towards democracy and away from nearly 50 years of military rule.

"Plans are under way to hold the elections in a systematic way this year and the entire people have to make correct choices," said Than Shwe in a message printed in state-run newspapers.

The message did not clarify what was meant by "correct choices" but was widely assumed to urge voters to support military-backed political parties.

Critics said the process would merely perpetuate military rule under a civilian guise.

Suu Kyi, who recently had her house arrest extended by 18 months, will be unable to participate in the balloting.

The junta has yet to pass necessary elections laws for the 2010 vote or set a date.

Burma gained independence from Britain on Jan 4, 1948, after more than 120 years of colonial rule, and has been under military rule since 1962.

The current junta emerged in 1988 after violently suppressing mass pro-democracy protests. It held a general election in 1990, but refused to recognise the results after a landslide victory by Suu Kyi's party.

Her National League for Democracy marked Independence Day at party headquarters in Yangon Monday with a gathering of 400 party members, diplomats and supporters. More than 50 plainclothes policemen observed and videotaped the meeting from across the street.

The party reiterated its call for the release from detention of its party leaders and all other political prisoners and for the reopening of branch offices which were shut down in 2003.

The United States issued a message congratulating the people of Burma and said it looked forward to the day when they could "exercise freely their universal human rights".

State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said the United States "stands ready to take steps to improve bilateral relations based on reciprocal and meaningful efforts by the Burmese government to fulfil the Burmese people's democratic aspirations."

Than Shwe on Monday warned people to "remain vigilant at all times against dangers posed by "neocolonialists" – a term used to refer to Western nations that have been critical of the regime's human rights record.